Archive for December, 2016

Some of the most important partnerships for any business are its vendor relationships. Business-to-business (B2B) vendor partnerships allow the purchasing business to shore up its deficiencies by outsourcing certain business functions to organizations with greater expertise. This avoids the time and effort required to develop the necessary infrastructure, staff and expertise internally.

The obvious downsides of using vendors include out-of-pocket costs and potential lack of control over vendor operations. This lack of transparency and control can and frequently does result in conflict in those crucial B2B relationships. (more…)

Trade shows can be a great way to network with others in your industry and make some new connections with potential customers, suppliers and business partners — not to mention the ability to set up a booth and show the attendees what you’ve got. And analysts predict the trade show industry is set to see even more growth over the next few years.

The holidays are a great time to see family and friends you may not have seen or spoken to in some time. And when conversations with people you don’t see regularly gets stale, the quest for common ground may lead you to a variation of this common fallback: “How’s work?” or “what do you do for work again?”

For entrepreneurs, who have often been greeted with blank stares in response to that question, the answer can be tricky. (more…)

A fundamental principle in the world of marketing is that an organization does not control its brand. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but the truth is that the market, your current and potential customers, and consumers define your brand. You can try to influence your brand through your marketing communication efforts but, ultimately, no business can fully control the perceptions of the masses.

This is a lesson that athletic shoe company New Balance recently learned — and is still learning — the hard way. (more…)

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